Rycroft Philostrate

Rycroft Philostrate
Aliases	Philo
Slang	Pix Lover
Relatives	Absalom Breakspear † (father) Aisling Querelle † (mother) Darius Prowell (foster brother) Vignette Stonemoss (soulmate)
Affiliation	Constabulary No. 6 (formerly) The 13th Light Dragoons (formerly)
Occupation	Inspector for The Burgue (formerly) Burguish Soldier (formerly) Burguish Sergeant (formerly)
Species	Human/Fae hybrid (half-blood)
Gender	Male
Age	37
Played By	Orlando Bloom

Rycroft "Philo" Philostrate (also known as "Philo") is a human/fae hybrid and one of the main protagonists of Carnival Row.

An inspector of The Burgue dedicated to justice, he abhors the mistreatment of the fae on Carnival Row, and despite the constraints of a society wrought with classist oppression, Philo has made it his personal mission to ensure that justice is served to all.

According to the Haruspex's prophecy on Philo's father Absalom, whom prophesied would be destined for success, and more importantly, his unborn son would be even more successful and important. This indicates that Philo will one day become greater and more important than his father ever was.

He is portrayed by English actor Orlando Bloom.

Overview

Philo is an enigma due to being a half-faerie. His wings were cut off by Dr. Morange when he was a baby so that he could pass as a human. He grew up in an orphanage without many friends and unsure of his parentage. Though he was well cared for, his future seemed bleak.

With few options before him, Philo enlisted in the Burguish military as a sergeant of the 13th Light Dragoons, looking for a chance at a bright future. It was the most formative experience of his life, seeing The Pact's cruel attempts at exterminating the fae. From the day that the war ended, Philo has made it his mission to protect the fae in particular. After a brief stint as a constable, Philo was quickly promoted to inspector after solving a case of bombings terrorizing The Burgue.

History

Pre-Series

Growing up as an orphan in the Light of the Martyr Foundling Home, Philo was sometimes involved in rough incidents with other orphans. In one case, Philo was forced to help a group of humans gang up on a fae orphan, stealing his food and using it to further harass the fae boy. Before they could hurt the boy too much, Philo finally found the courage to attack the other humans and launch a staunch defense of the boy. An adult human finally intervened, forcing the bullies to run away. The adult advised Philo to always choose to do good no matter the cost. Growing up in the Home, at least one adult, the headmaster of the Home, knew of his half-fae identity.

Season One

Investigating Unseelie Jack

Philo is working a case on the Row - a string of attacks on Critch commited by Unseelie Jack. His latest victim is a woman named Magrite from Anoun. Philo spent some time in the Tinanese highlands during the war. He was stationed in a mimasery. One of the most beautiful places he’d ever seen, with some of the bravest people he’d ever known. Unseelie Jack is hunting fae folk. Once every three weeks. It had been three weeks since Magrite was attacked, meaning he is due for another. She heard him before she saw him. He called her a Pix whore. He could smell the darkness on her, he claimed. He didn't have any hair, save for muttonchops. He also had a snake tattoo on his forearm. Lastly, he wore a uniform, however, Magrite couldn’t identify it.

Philo attends a rally of disgruntled Burguish men who feel as if their streets are being over taken by fae folk. Sergeant Dombey is in attendance, and he fits the description of shaved man with a uniform and muttonchops. Dombey denies having anything to do with the attacks, however, he also has no interest in stopping them. Philo asks that Dombey pull up his sleeve to possibly reveal a snake tattoo, but he refuses and assures Philo that like him, he too took an oath to serve and protect. Philo doesn’t buy it. He cares for the fae folk because he fought with them during the war, and they put their lives on the line same as he did, and he doesn’t like how the city has chosen to repay them. Philo punches Dombey and knocks him to the ground after he starts insulting faeries.

Philo returns home to the Rooms to Let, where he appears to be in a romance with the landlord Portia Fyfe. After dinner, they have sex in his bedroom. Afterward, Portia inquires about the scars on Philo’s back, but he’s hesitant to say much. He claims it’s a battle scar. Portia’s husband also fought in the war, though he did not return. However, it’s been more than 7 years and she has since moved on. Still, Philo doesn’t budge and doesn’t offer her much, even as she begs to be told a story.

Philo shares with Magistrate Flute his suspicion of Sergeant Dombey. He suspects that he may be Unseelie Jack, though he can’t prove it beyond the description given by the latest victim. Flute doesn’t seem too concerned. Philo wants to put a man on Dombey, but Magistrate Flute refuses to do so. Instead, he sends Philo home for the day.

Through talking to Constables Cuppins and Berwick, learning that Basilisk was in port every three weeks, Philo realizes that Unseelie Jack is a sailor.

Philo and Berwick reconvene at a saloon the sailors frequent to hopefully find Unseelie Jack. All the victims were struck on the right side of the head, meaning their attacker is left handed. They’re also looking for a snake tattoo. Philo spots who he believes to be his guy. He approaches the sailor and rolls up his sleeve to find the snake tattoo on his forearm. Jack hits Philo with a glass bottle and escapes the bar. This leads to a chase. Philo follows him out, scales a scaffolding and chases him across multiple rooftops. Philo eventually corners Jack, who has nowhere else to run. Jack explains that he had to stop them. They come from a dark place. He claims that they brought something with them that’ll bring the end of humans. He saw it with his own eyes. A beast like nothing else. He then walks backwards off the edge of the building, plummeting to the ground below.

Vignette tracks down Philo. She sneaks into his room, jumps on top of him, and holds a knife to his throat. Mima Roosan came to her with blood on her hands, claiming that Philo died in her arms. Philo reveals that he told Roosan to lie on his behalf, however, he never meant to hurt her. Vignette waited for him, but he left her in the ashes of her homeland with nothing but grief for seven years. She presses the blade closer to Philo’s neck, but ultimately decides to spare his life.

The killing of Aisling Querelle

Philo is approached by Constable Berwick, who informs him of another murder. A dead Pix found this morning on the South Bank, just off the road. Philo deduces that the attack couldn’t have happened more than a few hours ago, after Unseelie Jack threw himself off a building. The victim is identified as Aisling Querelle. She was a famous singer back in the day. Philo orders an autopsy and a last known address.

Philo and Berwick enter Aisling’s apartment to find a Kobold and Runyan Millworthy hiding in her closet. They suspect that he’s the killer, but Runyan denies any wrongdoing. He claims that Aisling was his friend from years ago. He only just arrived in the Burgue that morning. He needed somewhere to shelter, but when Aisling didn’t answer, he invited himself in. He hid in the closet when he heard Philo and Berwick coming. Runyan has not the slightest idea who would want Aisling dead. While they were both performers, she far surpassed him in talent. He turns on Aisling’s vintage gramophone and plays for them her singing "Grieve No More". She sang this during her height of fame. Runyan knew her before her rise to fame, when she used to sing in a little cafe on the Row. Soon, the rich and powerful lined up around the block to hear her. She even gave a recital at Finistere Crossing. Once, even a command performance at Balefire Hall. Aisling’s life was her art. Never married and never had children. Which is why it hit her so hard when she fell out of favor. After that, she became a recluse. Runyan last saw her years ago; some time in the aughts.

With Flute refusing to accept Philo’s request for an autopsy, he instead goes to the Row and asks a friend of his, a Puck butcher to do the autopsy. He was a doctor in Puyan before the war. The Puck butcher sewed Aisling back up and put everything back where it belonged inside of her. Judging by the veining on her wings, he concludes that she was approximately 90 years old. There’s some distention in the vaginal area, suggesting at least one pregnancy. There’s also atrophy in her coracoideus. Wing muscle. She is notably missing her liver. What the doctor can’t determine is what was used to kill Aisling.

Mima Sawsaan of the Revanscleer order has come to see Aisling’s body. After what happened, Aisling would never rest if Mima didn’t anoint her. Philo allows Mima Sawsaan to begin the process, though he watches from the corner. Aisling would lite a candle at Mima’s shrine every week. For who, she couldn’t say. When Philo asks if she knows of anyone who would want to harm Aisling, Mima reveals that a pall hangs over her, and she was taken by a great evil. She was killed by something unnatural. Neither man nor fae. Philo shares with Mima how just the other night, Unseelie Jack told him about a "dark god" lurking beneath the city. Philo didn’t believe him.

The Great War of Tirnanoc

Seven years ago. Tirnanese Highlands - Kingdom of Anoun. A fleet of Burguish soldiers lead by Philo, Darius, and Winshaw approach a faerie kingdom. They are greeted by Mima Roosan and an entire community of faeries. Per the terms of the Tain Treaty, they’ve come to commandeer the kingdom for use in defense of their lands.

During his search of the land, Philo comes upon an ancient library. He is immediately attacked by Vignette almost immediately after. She holds a blade to his throat and explains that he’s trespassing. She worries that he’ll report the library to his commander, but Philo insists that’s not his intention. So, she reluctantly lets him go.

Darius returns to inform the camp that the telegraph line that connects them to High Bresail is down. It snapped over the ravine. Philo wants to put together a repair detachment. However, the ravine was too wide. While they didn’t have any equipment capable of such lengths, a fae could run the line and Philo has Vignette in mind.

Vignette flies the line across the ravine from Darius to Philo. After successfully relaying the line, Vignette decides to stay to watch them finish the job. In that time, Philo gives her a book he’d been reading, Kingdoms of the Moon. It’s about a rogue inventor who journeys to the moon and falls in love with the princess of a lunar tribe. Vignette mocks the book for its insane premise, though Philo would beg to differ and insists that she take the book to read for herself.

Unbeknownst to the group, three Pact soldiers who’ve infected themselves with the wolf’s curse watch them from afar. They get undressed and inject themselves with some kind of catalyst to induce the change into wolf-like beasts known as Marroks. An echoing howl alerts Philo and his men of their presence. He warns Vignette to stay put as he heads over to the other side. By the time he reaches the other end, several of his men are dead. They’ve been ripped apart. A Marrock charges at Philo. He kills one before being attacked by another. Fortunately, Vignette comes to his rescue and kills the beast. They are joined by Darius soon thereafter. He ran the last remaining Marrock down and killed it.

Vignette joins Philo as he sits on a cliff. She finished the book he gave her. It was extraordinary. By the end, she was sobbing. Philo tells her to keep it. In exchange for his kindness, she offers to show him around the library.

It’s the largest library in the Kingdom of Anoun. There are possibly thousands of books within it, though no one has ever counted. Holy texts, maps, scientific research. Histories going all the way back to the Queen of the Crows. She shows him one book in particular. A 700-year-old manuscript. It tells the tale of the first human in Tirnanoc. He was an explorer called Isen who’d washed ashore after a storm, and was taken to Queen Aradis, who became utterly fascinated by him. He stayed as a guest of her court for quite a while, and they fell desperately in love. Sadly Isen yearned for home. So, he built a ship and left. No one knows if he returned, but he did leave something of himself behind. They had a child. A half-blood son. He spent his life searching for his father. Philo remarks how it sounds rather like his book that he gave Vignette. She agrees, and speculates that maybe Isen did find his way home and brought the story with him. Philo thinks that maybe the writer of his book heard the tale as a child from his faerish nanny. Vignette likes the idea that a story like that might cross the world and somehow finds its way back centuries later, changed by constant retelling, but familiar, as if to tell them that they’re not so different in the end.

Fort Sovereign were hit by the Pact. They’d been advancing further everyday. Many are wounded. They’ll need blood. Winshaw orders every able-bodied man to the front to donate blood. For reasons unknown, Philo runs away from the kingdom. He takes shelter in a cave as the rain comes pouring down. Unbeknownst to him, Vignette has also taken shelter in the cave. They come upon one another and proceed to have sex. Vignette’s wings glow a bright luminescent blue.

Quite a bit of time has passed, and Vignette and Philo remain together. She explains to him the meaning behind each braid in her hair. One represents her surname, Stonemoss. Another for the year she was born. And another is the one in which a woman gives away when she gives her heart. Vignette notices the scars Philo's back. He explains that they’re from a childhood injury. However, he was too young to remember how. All he knows is that the headmaster said it was how he turned up at the Foundling Home.

Philo spots Darius sneaking out the kingdom in the darkness of the night. He follows Darius who runs into the nearby woods and turns into a Marrock as the full moon shines in the sky. As it turns out, Darius was bitten when they were attacked by the Pact.

The following morning, he awakens in blood, next to a deer he had slaughtered. As he cleans himself off in the river, Philo throws him his clothes. Darius explains that he’s got it under control. It’s only once a month, and he’s got a whole forest to get himself lost in. However, when he gets back to the Burgue, he’ll hand himself in. He worries what they’ll do to him as he’s now a Critch that could turn them into a Critch. Darius isn’t the only one with a secret though. He knows about Philo’s relationship with Vignette. He can smell it. The wolf fades slowly, he remarks.

Vignette and Philo have sex, though her wings don't brighten, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Philo. She responds that it’s not supposed to happen with faan-troigh anyways. What Tourmaline said has resonated with Vignette, so she asks Philo what will happen to them once the war is over. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but he insists that she’s not just an exotic fuck. She’s like coming home. Philo lost a part of himself a long time ago. He tried to forget and ignore it, but it was always there. The scars on Philo’s back are from when his wings were sheared. He’s a half-blood. He’s felt his wings his entire life despite not having them.

Philo never knew his parents, so he always wondered what their story was. An affair. A drunken collision. Whether they loved each other or loved him. Philo does however at least understand their reason for shearing him. Life in the Burgue is hard enough for fae. Half-bloods don’t belong anywhere. They thought if they could pass Philo for human then he’d have a better life. The headmaster knew what he was. He kept Philo’s secret. He told him to hide it and stay clear of doctors to prevent them from discovering he has fae blood. Being with Vignette at the kingdom is the closest he’s ever felt to home.

Philo, Darius, Winshaw, and Mima Roosan learn that the Pact have taken the capital. The whole front had collapsed, forcing them to evacuate. The Republic of the Burgue are going home, much to Philo’s dismay. Philo follows Vignette and tell her to leave with the others. He’ll meet her at Port Moradoon, but she worries they won’t and doesn’t want to leave Philo behind. She’s determined that they leave together. Before heading off to seal the library, she gives Philo her braid for when a women gives her heart away. They’re to meet in the Garden of Stones. They express their love for one another before parting ways.

As the Pact airships approach, they shoot the Wing Brigade out the sky and then begin attacking the kingdom directly, bombing the land, killing many. Philo approaches Mima Roosan and asks her to lie and tell Vignette that he was killed in the attack. Vignette collapse to the ground at word of Philo’s demise. She’s distraught. As Philo and Darius lead their men to safety, Vignette attempts to return to her fallen kingdom in search of him, but Nefrie and Mima Roosan fly her away to safety.

Hunting the Darkasher

Philo and Berwick arrive on the scene of a murder at the Light of the Martyr Foundling Home, where Headmaster Costin Finch was murdered. They track the killer’s footprints outside, though one print resembles that of a hoof and another a Trow. Philo heads down a sewer hole, where he finds the unknown creature. Philo shoots it several times as it charges towards him, though it does not attack, but simply disappears into the darkness, however, it did leave the Headmaster’s liver behind.

At the morgue, Dr. Morange reveals that the cause of death was excessive exsanguination. Just like Aisling Querelle. Philo can’t imagine why the killer would want to extract the Headmaster’s liver.

Philo looks to Mima Sawsaan for answers as to why both victims had their livers removed. Mima explains these are unholy matters and she can only speculate. She doubts he’ll believe her, but there’s a story in their oldest traditions of a beast called a Darkasher. A golem of flesh, fashioned from the limbs of the dead, and given new life and purpose. Even after all he’s seen, Philo is skeptical. In search of proof, Mima sends him to a Haruspex with a shop off Vectis Square.

Philo goes to the Haruspex with a dead fish and mole. With it, he wants her to make him a Darkasher. He won’t believe the killer was raised from the dead until he sees it for himself. She explains that a Darkasher must have a master. It’ll be bound to Philo until his last breath. The Haruspex requires from him what would be his part in any creation, his seed. The Haruspex appears to him as Portia and Vignette and takes from him what she needs. She tells him to come back in a couple days.

Philo returns to the Haruspex’s shop to see if she had brought his Darkasher to life. He looks to a poster of the human anatomy she has posted in her shop. It says "Repository of secrets." The liver holds multitudes for those who know how to see. Just as she said she would, the Haruspex brought Philo’s Darkasher to life. Philo could sense the Darkasher’s intelligence when it came for him in the sewers the other night. The Haruspex corrects him in saying that what he actually sensed was the intelligence behind it. The Darkasher has no thoughts of its own. Only those of its master. Sometimes it’s eyes and it’s master’s eyes are one and the same. Philo pays the Haruspex to put his Darkasher out of its misery, but it can’t be killed, not while Philo still breathes. So, he tells her to put it in a jar.

Philo returns to the Foundling Home, shows Headmaster Thorne a picture of Aisling Querelle and asks if he’s ever seen Headmaster Finch with her. However, Thorne has never seen her before, or so he claims. Philo decides to take a look around. He ventures back to his old sleeping quarters, where he scratched his name into the bed-rail. He recalls him and Darius as children at the home. Young Philo jumped up and down on the bed until he fell off and hit the back of his head on the floor. Philo also remembers waking up in the late hours of the night and hearing Aisling Querelle singing.

Philo remembers his time with Master Finch and how he protected Philo’s secret. Philo confronts Headmaster Thorne with his suspicion that he hasn’t told him everything. Today would’ve been Costin’s night off. After the boys had supper and he led last prayers, he would dress his best like he did every Gullsday and taken a carriage to the Row. Master Finch would frequent the Tetterby Hotel for fae companionship.

Philo shows Madame Moira a photo of Headmaster Finch and asks to speak to his regular girl. Madame Moira is shocked to learn of Costin Finch’s death. For as long as she could remember, he would book a room with two girls each Gullsday night. The bed would be put to work, but not the girls. He preferred people think he had a taste for Pix whores rather than the truth — that he was in a relationship with Dr. Morange, who explains to Philo that there’s always the shame and fear of being discovered. They only had one night a week to be who they truly were. Yet it was the rest of the time that felt like a lie. On top of being in a relationship with Costin Finch, Morange reveals that Costin also knew Aisling. They met a long time ago, before he took his vows. They were close then. He saw her perform multiple times. So, it would seem the murders were connected somehow, though Costin and Aisling hadn’t spoken in at least 20 years.

Philo wakes from a dream, which was more like a memory of Morange shearing his wings. Portia wakes as well. She kisses him goodnight and returns to her own room. Philo heads over to Aisling Querelle’s home in the middle of the night and plays her singing a song from her gramophone.

In playing the music and putting all the pieces together, Philo realizes that Aisling was his mother and that the song Grieve No More was written about him. Many years ago, while Philo lived in the Foundling Home, a young Aisling sang the song over a sleeping Philo.

After making this startling revelation, Philo heads down to the morgue and kisses his mother on the head.

Philo arrives at Morange’s home to find that he’d been murdered by the Darkasher. Like the first two victims, his liver was taken as well. Philo lies to Magistrate Flute, Constable Berwick, and Sergeant Dombey and tells them there are no connections between the three victims. While Morange was a good man, there were rumors that he handled abortions, reconstructions, and Pix looking to pass as humans by getting their ears bobbed and their wings sheared. Flute puts Philo in charge of finding a connection.

Philo returns home to find Portia waiting for him. She wants to take their relationship to the next level and have Philo move into her room. While he’d like that, he can’t give her what she wants. He can’t give her a family, due to being a half-blood, which he reveals to Portia. He also tells her how all the murders are connected to him. Costin Finch was his old Headmaster, Morange sheared his wings, and Aisling Querelle was his mother. Portia panics and kicks him out her home.

Philo pays Darius a visit. He concludes that Philo’s half-blood secret finally caught up to him. Philo wasn’t aware that Darius knew his secret, but as Darius reminds Philo, the wolf fades slowly. He can smell the fae on Philo, who then tells Darius that he told Portia about his secret. Philo thought that maybe she would accept him for what he is. Darius scolds Philo for making such a reckless decision. Philo is the only reason they let Darius live. If something happens to Philo, then they’ll definitely get rid of Darius.

After being kicked out by Portia, Philo moves into the constabulary and then begins his search for Runyan. Philo finds Runyan on the Row to discover that his Kobolds were deported. However, the reason he’s there is to learn more about Aisling's past. Philo reveals that Aisling did have a child and the circumstances of that child’s birth had something to do with what got her killed. Runyan reveals that ought six or ought seven is when Aisling was at the height of her fame. There was someone she wouldn’t talk about. Runyan had never seen her so happy. One day, she changed. She canceled her standing engagement at the Abbey and went away for months. When she came back, she was sadder. She wrote a song about it. Aisling stayed with a benefactor in the Crossing for that time she was gone. Things were different back then. Friendships between fae folk and humans were not so impossible. The benefactor in question was Simon Spurnrose.

Philo arrives at the Spurnrose house to further inquire about his mother’s time spent there. Afissa remembers Aisling. She had just started working for the Spurnroses, and Simon let her have what is now Imogen’s room. He was a good and progressive man. He ever arranged for Morange to look after her. Beyond that, Aisling stayed until the baby came. Cried for days after Morange left with him. Aisling never spoke of the father. Afissa was given the impression that she was frightened of him. According to Afissa, the baby had sad little wings. By the looks of them, he never would’ve even been able to fly, assuming he survived, as a lot of half-blood don’t make it far. Afissa always wondered what became of the child.

Sergeant Dombey, Constable Berwick, and several other constables arrive and place Philo under arrest for three counts of suspicion of murder. As he’s being taken away, he tells Afissa that she no longer has to wonder what happened to Aisling’s child. Dombey tells Philo to shut up and punches him in the gut. Philo retaliates with a headbutt. This angers his fellow constables, who go on the attack. Luckily for Philo, Berwick is there to separate the fight and see Philo inside the police carriage.

Under arrest and charged with Murder

Philo is taken back to the constabulary in a carriage by Constable Berwick and Sergeant Dombey. Philo insists that he’s not the killer, though Magistrate Flute finds that hard to believe considering Philo hid facts from the case. He is taken downstairs and placed in a cell with humans, who Dombey hoped would beat up Philo. Vignette is also in a cell not far from Philo’s. She warns him as the men attempt to attack him, and Philo manages to subdue his attackers.

Sergeant Dombey reruns to find Philo in perfect condition, whilst the men he was put in a cell with are groaning in pain. He removes Philo from the human cell and places him with the fae folk. Now, the only thing separating him and Vignette are a set of bars. He thanks her for warning him. They both question what the other is doing in jail.

Vignette and Philo exchange stories, each leading them to their current predicament in a cell. Vignette learns from Philo that Aisling was his mother and she tells him how the Republic of the Burgue seized control of the library artifacts.

Magistrate Flute, Dombey, and Berwick tell Philo that Portia came by and filed a statement that could potentially see Philo cleared of all charges. Philo insists that he didn’t kill anyone, however, it is true that Aisling Querelle is his mother. Flute is outraged as he once trusted Philo.

Vignette tells Philo that he did his mother proud by standing firm against Magistrate Flute. Philo’s been wondering who his father is. He suspects his father is controlling the Darkasher. Philo realizes that the killer doesn’t know who he is, which is why he needed their livers, so he could read their secrets and follow them to Philo. Berwick approaches the cell to warn Philo that Dombey is plotting to kill him.

Vignette was feeling like she finally had a place in the city, and that’s when she saw the sign. Treasures of Tirnanoc. Everything she had spent her life to protect had been put into glass boxes for a bunch of humans to gawk at. She asks if Philo ever thinks about Tirnanoc. He replies "all the time." He wishes that he’d never left Vignette. Dombey then comes down with an alleged transfer order for Philo. Philo tells Vignette that he loves her as he’s being taken away.

A bag is put over Philo’s head and he is placed in a carriage and taken to an abandoned house. Philo is sat in a chair and the sack over his head is removed. Much to his surprise, waiting for him is Absalom Breakspear.

Meeting his father

Philo sits restrained in a chair. Absalom looks into his eyes for a sign of remorse, but there is none. He believes that Philo killed Aisling and pulls out a gun and points it at Philo’s head. Absalom pulls the trigger, but the gun jams. Philo insists that he didn’t kill his mother. The first time he saw her was when she was lying in a pool of her own blood. He thought his father, who he now realizes is Absalom, was the killer, but he sees now that he was mistaken.

Absalom was a college student when he first saw Aisling at a late night salon on the Row. Her performance made an impression on him. Out of everyone in the salon, she chose him, a farm boy from the Hinterlands. When Winter came, Absalom brought her to the very house they’re standing in, his family’s summer home. They were the strangest and most uncomplicated days of his life. But, when his father discovered their secret, he threatened to kill her unless Absalom broke it off. She asked to see him one more time after that, but he never showed up. He now realizes that what she wanted to tell him is that she was pregnant with Philo. Philo then shares his story with Absalom.

Absalom will see to it that Vignette is released on Philo’s behalf, but Philo cannot return to the city as he’s the next target and he’s supposed to be dead. Absalom would rather see Philo make off with Vignette than stay around and end up as the Darkasher' next victim. Absalom wished he knew Philo better.

Stopping the Darkasher

Philo stops by the Tetterby to inform Tourmaline that Vignette is being released soon. However, after a while, Philo and Tourmaline start to suspect that something went wrong as Vignette is still in custody. Just downstairs, Fleury reveals to Madame Moira that the Haruspex is dead. And so, Philo and Tourmaline head down to her shop, where her body lays on the table, completely torn open. However, it didn’t take her liver. Though, through some type of spell, the Haruspex is still alive to some degree. Philo asks the Haruspex who did this to her. She reveals the master of the Darkasher is Piety Breakspear. The Haruspex can still sense Piety. Her rage is a bruise on time itself. It makes her strong and powerful. Her dark work is not yet done. More blood is being shed. Philo’s father’s blood, the Haruspex reveals. She also tells him that Vignette is in danger. The Haruspex tells Philo and Tourmaline that time is running out. As they leave, the Haruspex’ eyes fade and a blue smoke leaves her mouth. Philo then heads into the sewers towards Balefire, leaving Tourmaline behind.

Philo spots the Darkasher while moving through the sewers, though it appears asleep. He accidentally wakes it up while passing by. Piety and the Darkasher’s eyes become one and she sees that Philo is in route. Philo lures the Darkasher through a tunnel and traps it under a door. With the Darkasher pinned down, Philo cuts it’s head off with an ax. He proceeds into Piety’s lair, where the bodies of fae folk hang at every corner. Piety confronts Philo. She would’ve never even known he existed if not for his mother’s blackmail note. She has to kill Philo to ensure Jonah’s prosperous future. Despite decapitating the creature, the Darkasher is very much still alive. It throws Philo across the room and reattaches its head. The Darkasher continues its attack on Philo until Vignette sneaks up behind Piety and stabs her in the back of the head, killing both the Darkasher and its master.

Fae internment

Philo and Vignette plan to leave town. She’s headed to Port Hoy and from there New Freehold. Somewhere a couple like them won’t be noticed. As they attempt to leave, Vignette is turned away. No Critch is allowed in or out the city until further notice. Orders given following the assassination of the Chancellor by Puck cultists. All Critch are to be sequestered to the Row.

Vignette is taken to the internment camp. Philo is denied entry due to his ability to pass as human. From opposite sides of the barbed wire barricade, Vignette promises Philo she’ll find a way out. Just behind them, Fleury has packed her bags and attempts to fly away, Madame Moira tries to stop her, but she fails, and Fleury is shot out the sky. More concerned for Vignette now than ever before, Philo exposes himself to the guards, who after learning that he’s Critch, allow him into the camp. Once inside, Philo joins Vignette.

Season Two

Coming soon...

Skills, Powers and Abilites

Flight (formerly): Like faeries, Philo had large, dragonfly-like wings that may have enabled him to fly. However, it is said that it was very unlikely he would ever be able to fly, owing to his half-blood nature. His wings were removed when he was an infant to help him blend in with other humans.

Weapon Proficiency: As a war veteran, Philo is proficient with firearms, including pistols, shotguns and sniper rifles, and is an accomplished marksman.

Master Sleuth: Philo has become an expert detective following the war against the Pact, quickly rooting out Unseelie Jack among several patrons at a pub and tracking down the Darkasher in less than a week.

Appearances

Season One

• Some Dark God Wakes
• Aisling
• Kingdoms of the Moon
• The Joining of Unlike Things
• Grieve No More
• Unaccompanied Fae
• The World to Come
• The Gloaming